For 2300 years, since its foundation in 315/6 BC and up until today, the port of Thessaloniki constitutes the most important port in Macedonia and one of the most important ports in Southeast Europe.
Due to its advantageous geographical location and its excellent road links and train connections, it is the largest transit-trade port in the country and it services the needs of approximately 15 million inhabitants of its international mainland.
It is located on the inner part of the Bay of Thermaicos, on the northern section of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, to the west of the center of the city of Thessaloniki. Approach of the ships is accomplished through a natural channel of substantial depth, not needing thus any further deepening.
It occupies a total space of 1.5 million square meters and it spreads across a length of 3.5km.
The installations include 6 piers spreading on a 6200 meter-long quay and a sea depth down to 12 meters, with open and indoors storage areas spreading on a total of 600,000 square meters, suitable for servicing all types of cargo as well as passenger traffic.
The port also has installations suitable for liquid fuel storage and it is located in proximity to the international, natural-gas pipeline.
Due to the temperate climate, the well protected from weather conditions approach, the existence of a 1000m-long wave breaker which protects the port from the southern winds, the almost null tide, (maximum height of 0.7m) and the port's secure installations, the loading and unloading of cargoes as well as the embarkment/disembarkment of passengers on the ships are taking place unhindered, throughout the year.
The Free Zone (control type I: fencing, customs' supervision and cargo inspection on the points of entrance – exit, inspection of persons and vehicles) is also part of the port of Thessaloniki and it is operating since 1995 in accordance with the Community Customs Code.
It is linked to a dense, traffic network that is directly linked to the national and international road network, bypassing thus city entrance.
All the port quays have double/triple rail-lines and are linked to the national and international railroad network.
The port enjoys a privileged position being located at the crossroad of land transportation networks, as follows: East to West, (Egnatia Motorway) and South to North (PATHE Motorway Patras-Athens-Thessaloniki-Evzoni or Idomeni) which continues towards the north, not only as an eastern corridor – Eastern Mediterranean, of the Central network of the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T Core Network Corridor Orient - East Med), but also as the pan-European route Ten Χ.
It has been characterized as a Port of National Interest in the Country's Coast-guard System, (National Gazette ΦΕΚ 202Β/16.2.07) and one of the five Greek ports, which belongs to the Core Network of Trans-European Transport Networks.
It is located at a distance of 1km from the Passenger Railway Station and 16km from the city's International Airport.
